'Alcohol pricing must be a priority for government'

"In developing this strategy, we considered the best available evidence about appropriate policies and interventions that are needed both to reduce drinking levels in individuals and reduce the damage to families and communities that alcohol can cause.

"The report provides a blueprint for action, now and in the future."

The development of the strategy was led by Professor Linda Bauld, at University of Stirling, who said polling evidence shows strong support from the public for the measures to be endorsed.

British Liver Trust chief executive Andrew Langford said: "The UK is seeing a year-on-year increase in alcohol-related deaths, especially from liver disease, and what makes this worse is that the average age of people dying from liver disease is decreasing.

"We must all do something now to start to tackle this avoidable epidemic and reverse a trend that sees well over 10,000 people a year dying prematurely because of alcohol-related harm."

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, which has launched the Why Should Responsible Drinkers Pay More? campaign against minimum unit pricing, said: "Consumers have made it very clear: they are opposed to minimum unit pricing. They do not think it is fair that responsible drinkers should have to pay more because of the actions of a minority of irresponsible drinkers.

"Not everyone who looks for value in their shopping is a binge-drinker.

"We are absolutely committed to tackling problem drinking. Overall alcohol consumption has fallen by 13% since 2008 and drinking among young people in particular is also declining.

"Rather than looking at the same old restrictions on price, availability and marketing, the Government should look at locally targeted solutions, better education and enforcement of existing measures that have been shown to work."

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, director of professional activities at the British Medical Association (BMA), said: "While the BMA is pleased that UK Governments have started to tackle alcohol misuse, we believe more action is needed.

"The strategy outlined in the Stirling University report paves the way for real harm reduction.

"We agree that a minimum price per unit of alcohol should be set at 50p and that improved labelling about the risks linked to drinking too much alcohol is urgently required. The BMA also has long-standing policy calling for an end to alcohol advertising.

"Alcohol misuse leads to serious ill-health, premature death and is linked to violence and anti-social behaviour. It also costs society many billions of pounds every year."

Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "This important strategy demonstrates the clear evidence that the Government must push on with its commitment to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol.

"Once it is fully implemented, research suggests that a 50p minimum unit price will prevent more than 3,000 alcohol-related deaths and 40,000 crimes in England each year.

"The Health First strategy sets out how a minimum unit price can form the cornerstone of a comprehensive package of long-term measures that can address the marketing and availability of alcohol. The strategy also highlights the need for improved treatment services, so that the whole of the UK can tackle alcohol misuse effectively.

"The Government has been listening to the public health community to understand the facts behind minimum pricing, and this strategy outlines all the best available evidence for where we need to go next."

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: "We are not alone in saying that minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol would be ineffective in tackling alcohol misuse, is illegal and would damage the Scotch whisky industry and, therefore, the wider economy.

"Research for the Government shows that MUP would not reduce the number of people drinking at harmful and hazardous levels and various claims made about its effectiveness, based on modelling, have been found to be flawed.

"MUP would not target the 30% of people who drink 80% of the alcohol in the UK. As MUP is illegal and has never been introduced, there is no real-life evidence that it works.

"The Government has admitted that an unintended consequence of MUP is that revenue from alcohol duty receipts will hit the Exchequer's revenue, leaving less funding available to address alcohol misuse.

"Measures already in place seem to be working. Alcohol consumption in the UK has declined by 20% since 2005 and alcohol-related deaths are at their lowest since 2003. While we agree alcohol misuse must be tackled, targeted measures are required, not MUP."